


from my heart to yours

by Wildcard



Series: The Wakandan International Outreach Centre [1]
Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 1, Cultural exchange, Female-Centric, Gen, Purim, Wakanda Traditions, no romance just world building, post-movie canon, wakandan culture & customs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22984861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildcard/pseuds/Wildcard
Summary: At the end of the movie, T'Challa tells Shuri and Nakia that they'll be heading up the Wakandan International Outreach Centre.Shuri expects to teach people about the wonders of vibranium and Wakandan culture, but ends up learning about Purim along the way.
Series: The Wakandan International Outreach Centre [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1651834
Comments: 10
Kudos: 18
Collections: Purimgifts 2020





	from my heart to yours

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hhertzof](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hhertzof/gifts).



“Shuri, come!” Nakia said, poking her head around the door. The lab, as always, was lit up with Shuri’s projects gleaming like baby suns; in their glow, she was haloed (a princess born to shine). “Some of the children brought _challah_ and _hamantaschen_ for you!”

“Brought what?” Shuri asked, sliding out from under the table where she’d been kneeling for -- a quick glance at her watch made her wince, two hours, really? - and looking up at Nakia. “What are this ham-- haman--”  
  
“ _Hamantaschen_ ,” Nakia repeated, “it is a pastry, a special festival one. They’ve brought all sorts, from poppy to apple to chocolate.”  
  
Looking around for a spare space on any table to set down her tray, Nakia settled for dropping gracefully down onto her knees and holding the tray out towards Shuri. It felt like trying to coax T’challa out of the throne room; both siblings grew so engrossed in their work that they sometimes forgot dedication alone could not keep them running.  
  
“These triangles are the hamantaschen. They have sweet fillings in the middle. Me, I like the raspberry ones best. This bread, it’s the _challah_ . A lot of the children wanted to take photos before they would let me pull it apart.” Naoki plucked a raspberry-filled _hamantaschen_ off the tray for herself, turning the little triangular pastry about her in fingers before biting down on the soft, crumbling pastry. The sweet raspberry jam inside tipped out over her tongue, softening the pastry flakes and mingling the flavors together delightfully.  
  
“Willow brought them for us,” she said, watching Shuri examine all the hamantaschen as if she were trying to pick the best one.  
  
“The girl from Trinidad who’s always reading?” Shuri asked after a few seconds of trying to put names to people. She had always been happiest in the lab, but she had more of a talent for statesmanship than her sombre brother; he commanded the respect of the Wakandans but everyone who walked into the Wakandan International Outreach Center _loved_ Shuri.  
  
Even the littlest of children sat down to play LEGO with Shuri, building castles and trains; there was a replica of Wakanda in one corner, built by babes who had never seen the country with their own eyes but whose imaginations were stirred to splendor by Shuri and Nakia’s words.

Willow was one of the many teenagers who spent their afternoons at the Wakandan International Outreach Center, the eldest of a group of siblings who tagged after her like a line of ducklings. Nakia didn’t know if she’d ever spoken with Shuri personally, but she’d commandeered the kitchen and pantry, roping some of the other children into helping her. It wasn’t until the sweets were produced that Nakia had realized why the other chefs had stepped forth.  
  
“You said it’s a festival food.” Shuri took a bold bite out of the hamantaschen she held in her hand, the dark poppy seed center looking like a sooty thumbprint that crumbled under her shining white teeth. “What festival is she celebrating?”  
  
“It’s a Jewish festival.” _Poo-reem_ , she reminded herself, the syllables slipping carefully past her lips. She had traveled further than Shuri, learned far more languages, and she never, ever allowed herself to mispronounce what was sacred to others. “Purim. A minister, Haman, tried to eradicate the Jewish people but their Queen saved them. Haman was hung on the gallows he had built to hang the male leader of the Jewish people and in honor of Queen Esther, they feast and give food to others.”  
  
“A good queen,” Shuri said smugly, her lips curling around the second _hamantaschen_ she was now devouring. “Was the male leader her brother?”  
  
“No,” Nakia said, her returning smile just as sly, “Her cousin.”  
  
Shuri laughed and licked crumbs off her fingers, shameless in the way that only true royalty could be. “You should tell my brother this story. Feed him some of these too, he would like them.”  
  
“Perhaps,” Nakia said, picking another hamantaschen for herself. This one was filled with Nutella, oozing and sticky against her teeth - not a traditional filling, the children had said, but one of their favorites. “Or perhaps he would think you’re trying to tell him thing.”  
  
“I’d never want to rule Wakanda,” Shuri said with a toss of her head. “The ceremonial clothes are far too uncomfortable!”  
  
She laughed again and Nakia laughed with her.  
  
“One day,” Nakia predicted seriously, “you will grow up. And on that day--”  
  
“It’ll never happen, my brother is adult enough for two people,”” Shuri said as regally as she could despite the grin splitting her face.  
  
“On that day,” Naki repeated, matching Shuri measure-for-measure in dignity, “Wakanda will be even _more_ proud of its princess.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! The images in the graphic are all traditional Jewish food with the hamantaschen being the triangle pastries with the yummy filling. 
> 
> The other two parts are also going to be about Shuri and Nakia at the WIOC, since I thought it would be really interesting to see Shuri reacting to a world she only knows from TV and the Internet, whereas Nakia's more worldly and traveled. With any luck you'll enjoy this gentle exchange of cultures and culture clash as well!


End file.
